Frost: recommendations to reduce risks in the Colombian countryside

One of the suggestions provided by the ICA and MinAgricultura is to avoid over-working the soil, opting for minimum tillage or zero tillage. The Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MinAgricultura) provided a series of recommendations to Colombian farmers to strengthen their production against frost. The objective is to reduce the negative impact of frost on crops such as corn, onion, potato and carrot. Corn is one of the crops highly susceptible to drought and frost. Along these lines, the authorities suggested increasing the amount of seeds per hectare (ha), sowing certified seed and improved varieties, and sowing “chuzo” to reduce losses in corn germination. In the case of vegetables such as beans, peas, onions, carrots and beets, it is recommended to transplant in the late afternoon, use organic matter, keep live and / or dead covers on the ground, do minimal tillage and establish home gardens as it allows better ...